It should come as no surprise that family medicine is a rewarding practice. And despite the predicted shortage of family physicians in the near future, the current physician workforce is forging ahead, providing comprehensive care to hundreds of patients every day. Family docs take pride in their ability to ensure that the health and well-being of their patients is maintained. They also take pride in the fact that family medicine challenges their abilities as a medical professional and as a person.

As with most professions, daily challenges of handling workloads and time management can take a mental and physical toll. With primary care physicians, some of the challenges range from getting the trust of a new patient to convincing existing patients to make lifestyle changes.

Perhaps the biggest challenge that family physicians face is being there for their patients. Trying to find the balance between being a patient’s doctor and being empathetic toward a patient’s medical situation is a task that not everyone can handle.

No one said a career in family medicine would be easy, but here are a few physicians who were up for the challenge.

Be sure to come back next month when we highlight some of the ways family physicians protect themselves financially in: Family Docs Speak: Financial Protection